Three Outstanding Gifts of God

Among the major gifts of God in the Bible, these three are outstanding:

(1) Gift of His Son (Isaiah 53:6; John 3:16)
(2) Gift of the Law (Exodus 20)
(3) Gift of the Holy Spirit (John 1:33; Luke 3:16, 11:13; Acts 2)

Gift of God’s Son

Isaiah 53:6 (NKJV)
All we like sheep have gone astray;
We have turned, every one, to his own way;
And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.

John 3:16 (NKJV)
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

Gift of the Law

Exodus 20 (NKJV)The Ten Commandments1 And God spoke all these words, saying:2 “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.3 “You shall have no other gods before Me.4 “You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; 5 you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, 6 but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.7 “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain.8 “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. 11 For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.12 “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God is giving you.13 “You shall not murder.14 “You shall not commit adultery.15 “You shall not steal.16 “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.17 “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor’s.”

Gift of the Holy Spirit

Luke 3 (NKJV)15 Now as the people were in expectation, and all reasoned in their hearts about John, whether he was the Christ or not, 16 John answered, saying to all, “I indeed baptize you with water; but One mightier than I is coming, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

Luke 11 (NKJV)9 “So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. 11 If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish? 12 Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? 13If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!”

Acts 2 (NKJV)1 When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. 2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

God’s gift of the Law and His gift of the Spirit have both come to be associated with the Feast of Pentecost, also known as Shavuot, or the Feast of Weeks, which was also a time of giving thanks for the spring harvest as described in Leviticus 23.

Messianic leader Myles Weiss gives the following parallels between the giving of the Law at Mount Sinai and the giving of the Spirit at Mount Zion:

Mount Sinai

Mount Zion

God gave the Law with fire

God brought the Spirit with fire

Kingdom of Priests (Exodus 19:5)
“Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine.”

Family, Organic body, with a priestly calling (1 Peter 2:9)
“But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;”

3,000 died at the foot of Mt. Sinai
(Exodus 32:28) “So the sons of Levi did according to the word of Moses. And about three thousand men of the people fell that day.”

3,000 born of the Spirit
(Acts 2:41) “Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them.”

Law written on tablets of stone

Law written on hearts

The Messiah has come as the “Mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better promises.” (Hebrews 8:6)

Pentecost is a celebration of thankfulness for God’s provision, materially and spiritually. For Christians, it is a special day of thanks for the gift of His Son who gives eternal life, for the gift of His Law now written on our hearts, and for the gift of His Spirit filling and guiding all who seek Him wholeheartedly.